Malik Rose is an out-of-the box conscious rapper that can bring the balance that’s needed in Hip-Hop. His sound is much like his musical influences J.Cole, Nas, and the ‘College Dropout’ Kanye. He’s a story teller, pushing positive messages through his bars and his word play is crazy!
Back in October, Malik released “False Profit” which is off of his debut solo mixtape, Detox. The single is a sample from J. Cole’s “False Prophets.” The music video was shot in Okinawa, Japan and has already garnished over 12,000 views on YouTube.
Malik Rose’s passion for rapping is genuine, its not just about fame and women for him. It’s truly about the love of Hip-Hop. The traveling artist who originated from New Orleans, Louisiana is currently pushing his latest single off his solo project, “Fly Away”. Make sure to check that out. Below are some topics that Minnee Tells It All and Malik Rose discussed during the latest interview.
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Instagram||Twitter: @malikrosemusic Facebook: Malik Rose
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How long have you been rapping? – “Less than a year.”
How did you start rapping ? – When I was in college I would be in my classes, listening to J. Cole.”
What inspired “False Profits?” – “Well I look up to J.Cole and when I heard that track I thought it was great and that the beat was so smooth. Just everything about it. I had something to say so I started writing my own rap and then when the instrumental came out on YouTube, it was over !”
What made you choose to do the visual for “False Profit” in Okinawa? – Honestly, because Japan made me more focused on the music. No distractions.”
What are your thoughts on mainstream rappers? – “ Right now is the height for mumble rap, trap music, and songs with catchy verses and dope beats. Those are like sub genres of Hip-Hop. It’s not about skill anymore, it’s just about catchy verses and crazy images.”
How important do you feel image is in this industry? – “ I don’t rely on image but image is big in the rap game now. That’s because of the lack of skill. It’s more about their image and the gimmicks. Want to get on quickly? Have a crazy image. It’s the same for female artists. Female artists like Rhapsody aren’t at the forefront because she’s covered, she’s not flaunting a big ass and big breasts.”
With that being said, where do you see Hip-Hop going in the future? – “I think Hip-Hop is going through a phase. I think real authentic Hip-Hop will be in the forefront again within the next five years. But we as the people did that because of our short attention span. Nowadays we hear a song, it’s hot for a few weeks and then it’s on to the next. But good music is timeless. To this day real Hip-Hop heads listen to Tribe Called Quest, because that’s real, that’s good music, it’s timeless.”
Your lyrics provide such a positive message to the younger generation, so what is the overall message that you hope your listeners get out of your music? – “Two things. One, that it’s okay. It’s okay to feel a certain way, it’s okay to express how you feel and what’s going on. I rap about what’s really going on in my life. Nowadays artists are out of touch with their feelings and their true selves. They talk about pushing a Ferrari but it’s like nah you take the metro bro. LOL. Secondly, is be positive. I’m concerned about the Youth. The music has influenced us especially as black men. Back in the day for rappers it was all about being a D-Boy and pushing drugs but now they’re rapping about using drugs and getting locked up by reiterating that lifestyle. Lastly, be responsible. Everything you put out is being consumed, they’re taking it in. Be real about your music, everybody goes through shit.“
What are you currently working on? – “I’m still pushing Detox, but I’m also already working on a mixtape. I could’ve put it out this month but I want to take my time with it. I learned a lot from my last project,Detox. I had put out a release date for the project without having any content so I put out content instead of letting it naturally come to me. Lol. I feel like I kind of boxed myself in and I don’t want to do that again. I don’t have a title or a release date yet for the new mixtape, but it will be about some real shit. It’s going to be well put together with a very meaningful message. It’s not going to have just one direction, it’ll have different messages and vibes. It’s going to show my versatility and I think it’ll be the project to take me to that next level. Creatively as well as no longer really being a rookie.”